World Travel 101
January 28th, 2011 by Fred Collins, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
In the case of world travel, studies have been done showing that half of all baby boomers or people aged 45 to 59 dream about it. Taking those over 55 into consideration, they account for 32 percent of all hotel accommodations purchased in the United States. Considering these people who spend huge sums of money on restaurants, lodging, tours, and sightseeing, they are leisure travelers.
In predicting the impact of aging but active baby boomers on the travel industry, a crystal ball is not necessary. When it comes to this, the demographics considering trends toward early retirement and a healthy economy forecast an extraordinary boom for the travel industry. Here, nearly always good news for job seekers and career changers is an industry boom. You should explore your options if you are considering work in the travel industry.
In addition to being a travel agent, consider positions in marketing, sales, publishing and even Web page management. It will be wise for you to focus on the niches that serve mature travelers such as the group tour industry. Packaged tours for seniors are a growth area with increasing competition from new companies as mentioned by a group travel manager for a travel agency. Jobs to consider in this arena include bus driver, tour guide, planner, customer service representative and marketing specialist. Considering how most of the trips offered by this travel agency are meant for seniors, mature drivers and escorts are especially appreciated. A lot of our drivers are retired postal workers and city bus drivers. There’s a good bond between the passengers and the drivers because they’re of the same age and they share the same humor and outlook. No specific training is required for many of the jobs in the travel and hospitality industry, although travel agents may benefit from a training program in the field.
As mentioned by the vice president of marketing for a retail travel agents association, what is advisable is starting as an outside travel agent before making the leap to running your own agency. It will be possible for you to earn a commission from an established agency if you were to book travel arrangements for family and friends. By considering a special training program, such as the certification as a Specialist in Mature Adult Travel, sponsored by the association of American travel agents, you can capitalize on the trend toward senior travelers.
First, she thought about working for the travel industry and then this lady took early retirement from a US company after 30 years in supervision and customer service. She conducted some research and then she sent letters and resumes to dozens of tour groups. What she got was a response that was not heartening. One more letter was sent by her after a few months, this one to the very top, and what she got was a job offer from the vice president in charge of tours.
That was five years ago when she started as a part time marketing specialist and quickly added the title Tour Escort to her resume. Now, in her 50s, she accompanies groups of senior travelers to such destinations as Branson, Missouri and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She said she gets a lot of satisfaction from seeing people have a good time.
On the trips to Branson, there’s an excitement in seeing the shows and sometimes getting up close to the stars. She also enjoys the confidence expressed by groups that request her as the escort on their trips and the friendships she has formed with passengers. These advantages help to balance the hard work inherent in days that can start before dawn and end long after the sun has set.
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